First-year college students feel more stressed now than ever before, according to a nationwide study released this week by the University of California-Los Angeles.
Out of over 360,000 first-year college students surveyed, 30 percent reported being "frequently overwhelmed" by all they have to do. Women reported being stressed-out in nearly twice the percentage of men, 39 percent to 20 percent.
The results show an increasing national trend of stressed-out freshmen since 1985, when only 16.5 percent of students reported being under heavy stress.
"It has definitely been on the rise," Study Director Linda J. Sax said. Students reported stress in "both their school work and their personal life -- they just have too much to do."
Sax said increased stress may be attributed in part to rising tuition costs -- a problem that forces students to search for loans or work. The study reported a record 24.7 percent of students who said they likely would get full-time jobs while attending college.
Rising costs also may explain in part the disparity in stress between men and woman, as nearly 70 percent of women said they had financial worries, versus 57 percent of men.
University officials said stress is a problem for students in at the University as well.
"My sense is that college students are under more perceived stress," with consequent headaches, intestinal problems and trouble sleeping, Student Health Director James C. Turner said.
Stress management courses are the most popular of peer education classes, said Margaret Odahowski, assistant director of the Office of Health Promotion.
Odahowski said the Office of Health Promotion soon will offer an event featuring yoga and massages to help relieve students' stress.
She said advancements in technology such as voice mail, e-mail and cellular phones may contribute to the pressure students feel.
"Life is moving faster, so I think that's true for students, too," she added.
Besides students' stress, the UCLA study looked at behavior such as drinking habits and tobacco use.
The survey showed the number of students reporting they drank beer frequently or occasionally before entering college is 50.7 percent, a decrease from 75.2 percent in 1981.
Sax said administrators do not know why fewer students reported drinking.
Only 14.2 percent reported smoking cigarettes and 30.1 percent said they spend six or more hours per week partying, both slight decreases from prior years.
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